Spicy Smoky Slow Cooker Pork Chili

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My husband and I made this fabulous chili a couple weeks ago, and it was so good! I’ve made good chilis before, but this one is by far the best. A total keeper. And completely party/guest-worthy.

Jeff and I were looking for a good recipe we could slow cook all day while off on a long hike, but we wanted one that also did justice to our big college football games of the day: his Notre Dame Irish played Michigan, my USC Trojans played Ohio State. If you don’t already know this about us, Jeff and I love football, and we love food. While grilled brats are our mainstay football game day lunch, we like to experiment with cool “football worthy” foods for big game day dinners (we did a Southwest/Polish themed menu at a party we hosted for last year’s Steelers/Cardinals Superbowl).

I discovered this tasty-sounding CookingLight recipe a while back, while perusing healthy recipes, but just never got around to making it. When Jeff and I decided to do a long day hike in Silverado Canyon the same day as our big football games, I thought our busy schedule and big football watching evening schedule warranted a good chili.

But, I wanted something out of the norm. I usually make my chili with ground beef; Jeff tends to like a more substantive meat in his chili, such as BBQ tri tip or smoked pork loin. Since I wanted to “make” this for my husband — I don’t do the grilling or smoking, he does — this slow cooker pork recipe came to mind. And it did not disappoint!

Just the fact that it uses three different kinds of pork, and only one small can of beans, ought to appeal to most guys… it’s one of the first things my husband noticed.

Cook the ground pork just until slightly browned.

Next cook the pork shoulder, also until just browned.

Saute onions, peppers and garlic.

Add the tomato paste and beer to the vegetables.

The seasonings go in after transferring to the slow cooker.

The oh-so-critical ham hock is the last item to go in.

This fragrant bad boy greets you after slow cookin’ all day. Remove the ham hock and bay leaves before serving.

Jeff and I have a really high threshold for hot spicy food, so we usually “up” the hot factor in most recipes. We did the same with this recipe. Substitute bell pepper with 1-1/4 cup Anaheim chilies, and ½ cup red jalapenos. Add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper with the chili powder.

We also swapped out the beer (using a Corona) — we don’t allow Budweiser in the house unless my dad is visiting.

You can also cook the chili in a slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours.
For cooking chili on the stove top, use a total of 12 ounces beer and simmer, covered, for 2½ to 3 hours or until the pork shoulder is tender.

Comments

In the meantime, do you guys happen to have a good recipe for pork and beans, preferably done in a slow cooker? I have a few ideas of what I can do, but wanted to get your opinions on what should be thrown in.